Information indicating a need for aircraft maintenance is collected from multiple sources such as flight logs, fault history, and pilot memos, and is stored in a centralized location inside the aircraft or outside of the aircraft. Accumulating maintenance information in a centralized location enables mechanics to perform different types of aircraft maintenance activities (line maintenance, overnight maintenance, and extended maintenance) in one place. Reducing the time to perform maintenance activities is important in achieving the financial benefits of airplane operational availability.
Maintenance personnel access the information through a maintenance access terminal that is connected to the centralized location containing the maintenance information. Along with the availability of information, an efficient maintenance access terminal helps the maintenance personnel to achieve the operational benefits of reduced airplane maintenance downtime. Conventional maintenance access terminals are implemented on laptops or other computers that occupy the maintenance personnel's hands and attention for operation. Typically, maintenance access terminals are wired with aircraft systems and/or accessed within the cockpit displays which limit the portability during maintenance. These conventional maintenance access terminals delay completion of the maintenance activity.
Hence, there is a need for improved systems and methods for managing maintenance operations of an aircraft. Other desirable features and characteristics will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.